What Are Tarragon leaves and How Can I Use Them?

Here's everything worth knowing about tarragon leaves and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 459 recipes to cook tonight.

What are tarragon leaves?

Tarragon is a slender green herb with a distinct anise or licorice perfume, the defining flavor of French cooking's bearnaise sauce and a classic match for chicken. The leaves are narrow and pointed, and a little goes a long way.

There are two main types, and the difference matters. French tarragon has the rich, sweet anise flavor cooks want. Russian tarragon is hardier but coarse and nearly flavorless.

So buy a French tarragon plant, not seed, because true French tarragon does not grow true from seed.

It is one of the four French fines herbes, and it leans more aromatic and assertive than the chervil, parsley, and chives it sits beside.

Cooking With Tarragon

Tarragon is best fresh and added near the end, since long cooking blows off its delicate anise oils and leaves a flat, hay-like note. Strip the leaves from the woody stem and chop them, or drop whole sprigs into a sauce and fish them out later.

Its signature partner is chicken. It carries Grilled Tarragon Chicken with Mustard Sauce and Chicken Dijonnaise, where a little tarragon plus mustard and cream is the whole identity of the dish.

It is also the herb in bearnaise, and it makes the backbone of a cream sauce like Orange Tarragon Cream Sauce. Beyond that it wakes up eggs and fish, and a few leaves wake up green vegetables, as in Brussel Sprouts in Tarragon Mustard Butter.

One of its best tricks is tarragon vinegar. Tuck a few lightly bruised fresh sprigs into a bottle of white wine vinegar for a couple of weeks, and you have an anise-scented vinegar for dressings and the base of bearnaise.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Tarragon's natural partners are chicken, eggs, fish, shellfish, mustard, cream, butter, lemon, and white wine. Its anise note also flatters fennel, asparagus, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

The biggest mistake is a heavy hand. Tarragon is potent, and too much turns a sauce into licorice candy, so start with a teaspoon of chopped leaves and build from there.

The second is cooking it hard from the start. Add the bulk of it late so the perfume survives.

Skip Russian tarragon if you can help it. If the plant in your garden has almost no smell when you crush a leaf, it is the Russian type, and no amount will give you the flavor you are after.

Substitutes

The closest swap is chervil, the milder fines-herbe cousin, which carries a gentle anise note; use a bit more of it since it is softer. A few fennel fronds bring a similar sweet anise character and work well in fish and chicken dishes.

A pinch of crushed fennel seed or a whisper of anise can stand in for the licorice note where you have no fresh herb, but go light, because both are stronger and one-dimensional next to fresh tarragon.

Dried tarragon is acceptable in cooked, saucy dishes, though it loses the bright top note fast. Use about one teaspoon dried for every tablespoon of fresh, and add it earlier so it can soften and bloom.

Buying and Storage

Look for fresh tarragon with deep green, unblemished leaves and a strong anise smell when you rub one. Weak aroma means weak flavor, and you should avoid bunches with blackened or wilted tips.

Store it like a bouquet, stems in a little water with a loose bag over the top in the fridge, where it keeps for about five days to a week. It is more perishable than woodier herbs, so use it while it is lively.

Drying tarragon loses much of its character, so for the pantry, freezing is better. Chop the leaves and freeze them in oil or water in cubes for cooked dishes.

Tarragon vinegar is the other great keeper, holding the herb's flavor in the bottle for months and giving you a head start on any cream or mustard sauce.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find tarragon leaves: Tarragon leaves are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Tarragon leaves are a member of the Spices and Herbs US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

龙蒿叶

British (UK) term

Tarragon leaves

en français

feuilles d'estragon

en español

hojas de estragón

How much do tarragon leaves weigh?

Related

Spices and Herbs

Recipes using tarragon leaves

There are 459 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Fried Leeks with Tarragon

An elegant and sophisticated appetizer that will impress your dinner guests and is ready in just 20 minutes. The leeks are trimmed, steamed, battered, and fried to a beautiful golden brown. The addition of tarragon and parsley adds a subtle yet delicious flavor to the dish. The result is a crispy and flavorful appetizer or side dish that is certain to wow your guests.

Green Beans with Walnuts & Tarragon

Lovely mingle of flavours. I toasted the walnets. Used dried tarragon but soaked in the oils w/orgainc cider vinegar in advance. Oh yeah and added 1 clove of finely minced garlic. A big hit with or without the garlic. High class side dish using the fresh beans from my local country road farmer.

Chicken Potato & Spinach Salad

A chicken breast and potato salad with spinach, dressed with a creamy and tangy tarragon-mustard dressing.

Chicken Potato & Spinach Salad

A chicken breast and potato salad with spinach, dressed with a creamy and tangy tarragon-mustard dressing.

Olive & White Mushroom Soup with 3-colors Fusilli

Once upon a time I was reading a magazine article about good cooking. The journalist tried to convince me not to use some combinations of ingredients. One of the "banned" combinations mentioned was green and black olives. And so this soup was born to enjoy me.

Easy & Yummy Gazpacho

Classic gazpacho, the chilled Spanish tomato soup with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, and a bright lime-and-lemon finish. No-cook summer dish, ready after a 2-hour chill.

Grandma's Great Gazpacho

Cold gazpacho soup with tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onion, garlic, and a hit of red wine vinegar and lemon. Chilled, no-cook, and perfect for hot summer afternoons.

Jack's Veggie Burger

Jack's veggie burger is a hearty vegan patty built on mashed lentils, bulgur and smoked portobello, with roasted garlic and tarragon. The smoke brings meaty depth and the patties hold up on the grill.

Baked Fish with Quick Tomato Confit

Baked fish with a quick flavourful confit of two kinds of tomatoes and citrus.

Scrambled Eggs - Low Fat

Try something new for breakfast with this scrumptious dish made with cheese and chopped mushrooms.

Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches with Smoked Almonds

Scrumptious sandwiches made with chicken breasts, mayonnaise and smoked almonds.

Rabbit with Tarragon Sauce

Great recipe, simple and delicious.. I got rabbit shoulders only and next time I would buy a whole rabbit..It was unforgettable dinner.. Thanks..

Spinach & Long White Radish Soup

Spinach and long white radish soup: a clear beef broth scented with juniper and tarragon, loaded with daikon, potato, and spinach, brightened with lemon and turmeric. An unusual, fresh spring bowl.

Chicken Caesar

A delicious, filling and well balanced chicken caesar salad satisfies everyone at the dinner table.

Fillet of Sole with Broccoli

Microwave sole fillets in a creamy tarragon white wine sauce with broccoli and Parmesan. A light, elegant fish dinner ready in 30 minutes with no stovetop required.

Refreshing Asparagus & Mixed Baby Greens Salad

Pan-seared asparagus is tender yet still crisp, tossed with mixed baby greens, a tasty vinaigrette and hard-boiled eggs. A flavorful salad that's quick, easy to make.

Shrimp & Lentil Soup

a bit spicy soup.. I found a combination of lentil and shrimp in Sri Lanka's cuisine, however I never found any recipe, and I tried my way..

Beet Green, Artichoke Hearts & Pomegranate Salad

Next time when you have some fresh beet greens, or kale or any similar greens, make this easy yet tasty salad with marinated artichoke hearts, pomegranate seeds and creamy fresh mozzarella.

Quinoa Salad with Soy Bean, Roasted Pepper & Nuts

Toasting adds strong nutty flavor into quinoa, roasted walnuts add another layer of nutty flavor and texture. It is a very flavorful and light side dish that goes well with any main course.

Creamy Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Pasta

Load up on your power vegetables, sweet potatoes and sweet red bell pepper in this satisfying pasta main dish.

Herbed Quinoa Salad

A new kind of salad that has a scrumptious taste which is perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

Walnut Chicken/Shrimp Stir-Fry

So quick and easy to put together, and it tastes delicious with a good amount of flavorful sauce that's perfect with a bed of rice. Don't have Chinese cabbage? Use bok choy or other similar leafy greens, or even broccoli instead.

Salmon with Chive & Herb Sauce

The herb sauce was delicious and packed with flavour. However I seared the salmon in the hot skillet until nicely done, removed from the pan, then made the sauce with the remaining ingredients. Like crispy salmon rather than poached. Well definitely be making this dish again.

Lobster & Shrimp Bisque with Fresh Tarragon

A velvety lobster and shrimp bisque, sweet shellfish blended into a creamy, tomato-tinged base with a roux and half-and-half, finished with the gentle anise note of fresh tarragon. An elegant starter.

Delicious Carrot & Tarragon Tart

Looks beautiful and tastes delicious! Carrot gives the nice and bright color, tarragon is a great pairing with carrot. Using cheddar cheese, milk, yogurt and egg makes a cheesy, creamy and quiche like filling, which goes very well with the tasty crust.

Delicious Carrot & Tarragon Tart

Looks beautiful and tastes delicious! Carrot gives the nice and bright color, tarragon is a great pairing with carrot. Using cheddar cheese, milk, yogurt and egg makes a cheesy, creamy and quiche like filling, which goes very well with the tasty crust.

Sole with Orange Tarragon Cream Sauce

Cooked two sole fillets in a hot pan with a bit oil, then served with this delicious orange tarragon cream sauce. It tasted delicious. Had some mint peas aside to add some refresh-ness. Quick, easy, healthy yet delicious!

15 Minute Popcorn Shrimp

This scrumptious shrimp dish tastes so good, it will make you completely forget about the overcooked breaded bits of what purports to be shrimp at Red Lobster.

Chive Tarragon Deviled Eggs-Easter

These quick and easy deviled eggs are full of flavor. Freshly chopped chives, tarragon, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce and mustard makes a delicious filling. Enjoy these yummy deviled eggs at your Easter's Day!

Colorful Roasted Fresh Vegetables

Roasted vegetables are always a great side dish with grilled or roasted chicken, beef or fish. It's so easy to make, and fresh veggies taste delicious once roasted at its peak.

Easy Deviled Eggs

Easy deviled eggs with a creamy, tangy filling, mayo and sour cream brightened by honey mustard, red wine vinegar, and a whisper of curry, plus minced celery for crunch. A make-ahead cold appetizer.

Beet & Goat Cheese Crostini

This is a great appetizer, the beets are delicious and easier to prepare, and I used more garlic too, very yummmy.

Crustless Salmon Quiche with Fresh Herbs

Crustless salmon quiche: low-carb, gluten-free, weeknight-fast. Canned salmon, sharp cheddar, eggs and milk baked with fresh basil, tarragon, oregano, and parsley into a tender herb-flecked custard.

Leek & Zucchini Pasta

Leek and zucchini pasta tosses rotini with a tarragon-scented sour cream sauce of sautéed leeks, mushrooms, julienned zucchini, and tomato. A creamy white-wine vegetable pasta in under 30 minutes.

Tilapia with Orange Tarragon Sauce for Two

Delicate and flaky Tilapia with an orange tarragon cream sauce, perfect for two servings for a quick and seemingly sophisticated dish. Serve with a rice pilaf to make it a meal.

Bacon-Asparagus Quiche

Asparagus and bacon are a match made in heaven. Baked into a quiche it's prefect for a Sunday brunch. Quite easy to prepare if you use a ready made pie shell.

Crustless Swiss Chard, Leek & Herb Quiche

Try this easy to make crust-less quiche with any kind of your favorite greens, such as spinach, kale... Delicious, light and low in calorie and fat.

Asparagus Crepes with Mushroom Dill-Sauce

This was outstanding. The dill mushroom sauce had just the right balance of acidity and sweetness to match the asparagus. The quantities for two servings in the recipe was bang on. The recipe came together fairly quickly and presentation looked great. Will upload the photo shortly.

Chicken Salad Contessa

Chicken salad Contessa: roasted chicken tossed with sweet grapes, toasted walnuts, and a creamy tarragon dressing. Roasting the chicken instead of boiling builds real flavor. Pile it on greens or a croissant.

Low-fat Crustless Spinach Mushroom Quiche

This low-fat and low-carb quiche is loaded with deliciousness, and it's good for you. Perfect for breakfast and brunch, if tarragon is too strong for you, use thyme instead.

Easy Bacon Chicken Bake

Try this scrumptious dish that uses the tantalizing duo of chicken and bacon.

Tarragon Tofu with Chanterelle Mushrooms

This is a variation of a classic French dish that uses several reductions to build a ton of flavor that matches perfectly with the crispy seasoned tofu. Oyster mushrooms or other mushrooms work well too.

Greek Croustade

Greek croustade with spinach, feta, and cottage cheese in buttered phyllo dough twisted into rosettes on a pizza pan. A stunning appetizer with flaky, golden layers and creamy filling.

Spinach & Feta Phyllo Muffins

we didn't use up the whole filling from Greek croustade, then we used the leftover filling and made some phyllo muffins, they came out so cute, delicate and delicious. Being creative!

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Garlic, Ginger, Ham & Tarragon

The garlic, ginger, ham, and tarragon stuffing was quite tasty. The cream sauce picked up all the yumminess from the pan, and just what we needed to go with the chicken.

Sweet 'n Sour Cabbage & Apple Salad

A sweet and sour dressing tossed with the shredded cabbage and chunks of apples. Refreshing, light and very tasty. A great make-ahead side.

Orange Tarragon Cream Sauce

A favorite of ours which goes well with any type of fish, particularly flaky white fish.

Brussel Sprouts in Tarragon Mustard Butter

A quick braise keeps this much maligned "little cabbage" tender-crisp, slightly nutty and not mushy. Dressed simply in a butter mustard sauce seasoned with tarragon.

Grilled Tarragon Chicken with Mustard Sauce

This recipe impressed me, turned out delicious! The chicken breasts were just perfectly cooked and very succulent, the mustard sauce added the extra yumminess. Will be making it again for sure.

Savory Spring Phyllo Tarts

With fresh seasonal vegetables and phyllo pastry, these tarts come out beautiful and delicious. We like asparagus and green onions, feel free to use any fresh green vegetables that you have on hand.

All 459 recipes